KB5025 Hydraulics Laboratory

October 2024

Introduction
These instructions describe experiments to illustrate the principles of specific energy and momentum
in open channels. All the theoretical information you need can be found in the module learning
materials.

Safety First
The laboratory can be a hazardous environment. You should commence your work by undertaking a
risk assessment and act on its results.

Submission Requirements (MUST READ AND COMPLY)

Following are a few guidelines about the report submission. Please make sure you go through this list
before you submit.

• Experiments 1 and 2 are carried out together and must be written up for submission.
• All questions in this assignment are compulsory.
• The report must be a single file and must be typed (deliverable in Word or pdf format; the pdf
format is highly recommended). No deliverables written by hand will be accepted. The file
must have a meaningful file name.
• Organize your report with a cover sheet, a table of contents and sections and (if needed)
subsections to answer the specific questions.
• Start your report with a brief and concise introduction stating the purpose and content of the
report (what did you measure, calculated, analysed? What are the goals of the study?) This
gives context to the reader of your report.
• Please be concise but at the same time provide exhaustive answers.
• Show your work. Explain the procedure and calculation used to obtain a certain result. If the
procedure/calculation is used/performed multiple times (for instance, when deriving from a
measured volume of water the corresponding discharge), show it at least once in a complete
form, so that is clear how the results were computed. Present first the equations and sample
calculations, then the results (and not vice versa). Also, presenting just the results, even if
correct, without explaining how they were obtained, is not sufficient.
• Produce clear plots (do not forget axis titles and always indicate the units) and tables (use
clear headers for the different columns, with the units indicated).
• When showing final results, do not forget to indicate the units.
• Qualitative (discussion) answers should be concise and comprehensive.
• Do not present just a list of plots and table with no explanatory text and captions. Write the
report for a reader not necessarily familiar with was done in the lab. Assume you are writing
your report for a client (or a person with technical knowledge not necessarily specific to the
topic of the report).
• Any additional information you may feel to add may be included in an appendix to your report.
• Proofread your report before submitting it. Do not submit your first draft! If you cannot
understand what you wrote, your reader certainly will not.

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 • The document “Guidelines and Checklist for Writing a Report - 2023-24” (which you can find
on the Blackboard) contains guidelines for writing a report, in the form of a checklist. As you
draft and proofread you report, make sure you check it against this checklist. If you think your
report needs to deviate from the principles covered in this list, discuss this with the module
tutor before submitting the work.
• If you have any questions on these guidelines, please contact me at
[email protected].

Experiment 1: Specific Energy

Experiment Instructions
Procedure
Set the flume to a small slope such as 1:1500 using the screw and scales.

Place a structure such as a weir, hump or sluice gate into the flume about 1 m from the upstream end,
so that a hydraulic drop (subcritical to supercritical flow transition) is created.

Practise measuring the flow using the weighing tank and stop watch.

For five different flows, ranging from the lowest which works to the highest that the flume can safely
contain, measure the depth of the undisturbed water surface upstream of the structure and the depth
of the vena contracta downstream.

Recording of Results
Record the width of the channel, the weight of water, the collection time, the depth upstream of the
structure and the depth of the vena contracta downstream. For weirs, record the height above the
channel bed; for sluice gates record the gate opening; for other structures record all relevant details.

Questions for Report

Address the following questions in your report (organise your report with section titles corresponding
to the following questions):

1. Provide a brief description of the experimental setup (main components, how it works, the
experiments carried out, and the measurements taken). Include a clear, labelled and roughly
to scale sketch, in pencil at a reasonable size, of the experiment showing your measurement
locations and other relevant details (alternatively, use picture(s) with clear and exhaustive
labels). Note: you are allowed to use sketches and/or pictures you took. Do not use pictures
from the apparatus’s manufacturer.
2. From your recorded results, determine the flow in m3/s and calculate the upstream and
downstream specific energy, for each of the five different flows considered.
3. Plot a graph of log10 (flow) against log10 (head over the weir), depending on the structure
you selected. Look up the theory for your structure. What relationship do you expect to see
on the graph? Does yours represent this?
4. Use your results to calculate a discharge coefficient for the structure.
5. Comment on any energy losses across the structure and discuss possible reasons for them.
How are they different from the same structure at field scale? (Important: only one student
in the group must address this discussion-based question, say Student A. Student A must
develop his/her answer independently, with no help from Student B, and must clearly
indicate in the report that he/she is the only author.)

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 6. Account for any measurement errors, commenting on (i) how big a measurement error would
have to be to make a significant difference to your results and (ii) how your results would be
affected. (Important: only one student in the group must address this discussion-based
question, say Student A. Student A must develop his/her answer independently, with no
help from Student B, and must clearly indicate in the report that he/she is the only author.)

Experiment 2: Momentum
Experiment Instructions
Procedure
Increase the slope of the flume using the screw.

Leaving your structure from Experiment 1 in place, place another sluice gate towards the downstream
end of the flume to restrict the flow, creating a hydraulic jump.

You may have to fine tune the opening of the downstream sluice gate, or the slope of the flume, or
the discharge (making sure the flow is safely contained in the flume), to get the hydraulic jump to
remain stable in one location (small movements over a period longer than required to take
measurements do not matter).

For five combinations characterized by a certain opening of the downstream sluice gate, slope of the
flume, and discharge, measure the depth of water immediately upstream and immediately
downstream of the hydraulic jump. This will be difficult due to eddying in the water.

Recording of Results
Record the width of the channel, the weight of water, the collection time, and the depths of water
immediately upstream and immediately downstream of the hydraulic jump.

Note particularly the characteristics of the hydraulic jump – its length, flow patterns observable,
amount of ‘white water’ it creates and anything else relevant (consider taking photographs or short
videos). These may be different for each flow.

Questions for Report

Address the following questions in your report (organise your report with section titles corresponding
to the following questions):

1. Provide a brief description of the experimental setup (main components, how it works, the
experiments carried out, and the measurements taken). Include a clear, labelled and roughly
to scale sketch, in pencil at a reasonable size, of the experiment showing your measurement
locations and other relevant details (alternatively, use picture(s) with clear and exhaustive
labels). Again, you are allowed to use sketches and/or pictures you took, but do not use
pictures from the apparatus’s manufacturer.
2. From your recorded results, determine the flow in m3/s and calculate the upstream and
downstream Froude number of the flow. Taking either the upstream or the downstream
depth as a base reading, use the sequent depth equation to calculate the other depth.
3. Describe any variation in the characteristics of the hydraulic jump and relate it to the Froude
number. Is the variation as you would expect from theory?
4. Compare your measured depth with the corresponding value calculated from the sequent
depth equation. Is the error significant? Is the error consistent in direction for every flow or
does the equation sometimes over- and sometimes under-predict the measured depth?
Comment on the likely causes of the observed difference. (Important: only one student in

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 the group must address this discussion-based question, say Student B. Student B must
develop his/her answer independently, with no help from Student A, and must clearly
indicate in the report that he/she is the only author.)
5. Account for any measurement errors, commenting on (i) how big a measurement error would
have to be to make a significant difference to your results and (ii) how your results would be
affected. (Important: only one student in the group must address this discussion-based
question, say Student B. Student B must develop his/her answer independently, with no
help from Student A, and must clearly indicate in the report that he/she is the only author.)